


House of Pancakes

by Indehed



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Bottom Danny "Danno" Williams, Coda, Domestic Fluff, Episode Related, Episode Tag, M/M, Missing Scene, Pancakes, Top Steve McGarrett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 09:21:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17680748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indehed/pseuds/Indehed
Summary: A 9x13 coda (ish) story.After the crazy stunt Steve pulled to rescue the team from the underwater lab, Danny takes him home where he can keep an eye on both him and Grace at the same time, keeping them both well fed and rested.“Shut up, you love it,” she giggled and accidentally elbowed his side.“Can you blame me with his cooking? And the pancakes, seriously, how does he do it? They’re just pancakes but they’re so much better than anyone else makes.”“Even before he learned to cook properly, the pancakes were always amazing.”Danny came into the room with two plates of pie smothered in thick cream, handing one to Steve as he sat down beside them. “Are you still going on about pancakes?”





	House of Pancakes

**Author's Note:**

> I don't often write domestic fluff but I really enjoyed getting this one out of my head :)

Though Steve had made his usual bee-line for the drivers’ seat, Danny had insisted that he drive them both to his house, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Danny was navigating, and he was doing so directly to his own house and goddamnit he was not sorry for pulling the Grace card out in order to make Steve do it and let Lou handle things at the office while Junior, Adam, and Tani got... decompressed. Or whatever.

Everything else could wait until morning. 

Arriving home, Danny had told Steve to sit down while he checked on his daughter and ordered both of them to the couch while he made dinner. Lasagne. Something he knew they both loved.

While listening to the sound of Danny getting pots and ingredients out, Grace turned accusatory eyes on her Uncle. “What did you do?!”

Steve’s shoulders hunched, protecting himself. “I didn’t do anything! I did what you wanted, I got him out of the house for most of the day so you weren’t souped to death.”

“I was just sitting on my computer and he’s dragged me out here to the couch where he can keep an eye on both of us and he’s making lasagne. And he’ll do the good garlic bread with it. Which is all amazing and one of my favorite things he makes but I also know he’s doing it because it’s one of your favorites too, so what. did. you. do.”

“I-” he couldn’t get a word in; like father, like daughter.

“He’s worried about you. _**Lasagne**_ , Uncle Steve. _Great-grandma’s recipe_. And both of us banished from helping? You did something stupid and life-threatening that made him worry. Didn’t you. Something bad enough that he brought you here to keep an eye on you, too.”

“I-maybe- there may have been a _little bit_ of worry.”

“Urgh,” she rolled her eyes as she slumped back into the couch and shook her head.

“I had to. The others, they were in danger and I needed to do what I did or they wouldn’t have survived. Danno knows that. He just needs a little bit of time to process everything and he’ll be back to normal. We’ve seen it plenty of times before.”

“It’s still your fault he’s like this.”

“You sound like your dad,” Steve leaned close, her shoulder pressing against his bicep. “In the meantime, we get to relax, put our feet up, watch some TV and in the morning? Pancakes for both of us,” he said out of the corner of his mouth conspiratorially.

She wrinkled her nose up at him in a mixture of amusement and annoyance that only a member of the Williams family could manage while shaking her head, but eventually she handed the remote control to him and let him choose what they’d watch. 

It was about half an hour later of them sitting comfortably together, TV on low (because of Steve’s headache) and listening to Danny cooking in the other room (he’d only been to check on them twice, asking if they wanted drinks or needed anything else) when Steve glanced over at the teen. 

“So... how’s your mom doing? I’ve not really seen her since your welcome home party and your dad’s been a bit quiet about everything.”

“She’s good. She doesn’t go overboard like Danno does, she just gets super nice and polite. Like I get to pick everything, you know?”

“I wish my parents had been like that when I was young. When my mom died- or fake died- my dad just kind of ignored me and my sister. I wish I’d had someone who was attentive like Danno and your mom are. When I got shipped off to military school I made some mistakes, all because I thought no one cared about me.”

She shifted to look at him better. “That’s rough. You know, Danno always says he had to fix you. Let you know what it was to be human again after getting out of the Navy. I guess it was more than just the Navy to blame for you being like that.”

“Yeah, I guess it was,” he nodded, staring at his hands in his lap before bringing up another question. “I know your mom and dad have been spending more time together. Getting along okay. How would you feel if they got back together?”

“Oh my God, no,” Grace said, hand up in emphasis as she sat straighter and gave Steve a frustrated look. “That’s not happening. It would be a disaster and they both know it. Charlie and I don’t need that shit.”

“First of all, language,” Steve said, attempting for stern but not sure it actually worked. “Second of all, you could be a family again, that could be good.”

“Are you forgetting that they’ve tried before? And it sucked. It messed up everything and for sure that would happen again and they’d be fighting just like they used to before. I’m old enough now for it to be not so bad but Charlie’s just a kid. And he’s like Danno and really sensitive to that kind of thing. He’d get hurt. Besides, there’s a reason Danno’s relationships since coming to Hawaii have all just fizzled out.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?” Steve asked, trying to mask every type of emotion he could possibly show at wanting to know the answer. 

She just stared at him then finally rolled her eyes and stood, heading into the kitchen where all Steve could hear was Danny trying to fawn over her to get her to sit down and rest.

*

Dinner had perked Steve up and helped with his headache. Grandma Williams’ recipe was just as good as he remembered and he’d plowed into the food like he was ravenous which had drawn more ‘animal’ comments from Danny and Grace as they watched him eat. He’d had seconds and then used his fingers to clean the last of the sauce from his plate, sitting back full and comfortable.

Grace had been fed so much over the last few days that she’d only managed about half of what was on her plate and Danny had tried to persuade her to eat more, but she wasn’t budging. “Danno, I love it and I love you, but I’m stuffed full.”

“Uncle Steve finished his.”

“Uncle Steve has a bigger stomach than me. And he’s been working all day while I’ve just been sitting around in my room. He needed it.”

“And I could eat more,” he said. “Maybe Danno could make pancakes for dessert.”

“Enough with the pancakes already,” Danny said. “Those are for breakfast, I’m not making them for dessert.” Even Steve’s pout didn’t sway Danny, but he still put his napkin down on the table and got up and walked to the bread bin where he pulled out what looked like half a cherry pie. “Grace, did you eat all the cream yesterday?”

“No, there’s plenty. And you and Uncle Steve can share the pie.”

“Okay, I get the hint, no more food for you today. It’s going to take ten minutes in the oven so why don’t you both go back to the couch while I clean up.”

“We can help,” Grace offered. 

“No, both of you need rest, so go. Scoot,” he flicked a napkin in their direction and they both retreated to the couch where Grace sat back against Steve who put his arm around her. 

“You love it, don’t you.”

“What?” he asked.

“When Danno gets like this. I can see it in your eyes. The futzing and the way you look at him when he does it. You like it so much I could almost believe you get yourself in trouble on purpose just so Danno could mother hen you.”

“It’s not about liking it,” he sputtered as he began. “I’ve just learned over the years to let him do it because it’s what he needs after things have gone down. It means he’s okay. And it makes him happy.”

“Shut up, you love it,” she giggled and accidentally elbowed his side.

“Can you blame me with his cooking? And the pancakes, seriously, how does he do it? They’re just pancakes but they’re so much better than anyone else makes.”

“Even before he learned to cook properly, the pancakes were always amazing.”

Danny came into the room with two plates of pie smothered in thick cream, handing one to Steve as he sat down beside them. “Are you still going on about pancakes?”

“Just deciding what we want for breakfast, that’s all,” Steve told him as he took a plate from Danny’s hands and grinned as he took a massive bite of the pie, cream getting stuck to the end of his nose and making Danny and Grace laugh at him before he wiped it off. 

“You missed a bit,” Danny leaned over with a napkin and rubbed at Steve’s nose until the SEAL took over.

“I got it,” he took the napkin and practically ran it over his whole face to make sure it was clean, drawing more laughter from Grace.

Danny took the plates away after they’d finished their pie, then returned and put his feet up on the coffee table while they all settled in to watch something. Steve channel surfed and all three of them struggled to agree on anything until they gave up and moved onto Netflix to see if they could find a movie worth watching. Somehow, they wound up watching Legally Blonde. It was one of Grace’s favorites when she was sick and Danny was happy to indulge in a great female role model like Elle Woods and Steve just kind of watched in awe. Although part of his enjoyment was in watching Danny and Grace, who made fun of each other for laughing at bits they’d seen a million times, or when they spoke along with the dialogue. It was even more fun when they involved Steve in the whole thing, batting his thigh and telling him that the next bit was sooo good and then watching him for his reaction. 

At the end of the movie, Grace got up. 

“What are you doing, Monkey?”

“I’m going to go to bed. But I’m gonna call mom first like I promised to let her know how everything’s going. Goodnight, Danno,” she leaned down and gave him a kiss on his cheek. 

“You need me for anything?”

“I’ve not needed you to tuck me into bed since I was ten. I’m all good, daddy,” she said. “Stay here and do Netflix and chill with Uncle Steve.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Danny said, Grace smirking as she walked away. Danny turned to his partner. “What did that mean?”

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Steve shook his head, sidling a little closer to Danny and throwing one arm along the back of the couch. “Wanna watch another movie? They made a sequel to this one right? Or, ooh they’ve got Point Break!”

“One movie is enough for me. Maybe just put on some ESPN or something. I gotta clean up the kitchen, anyway and then get you a blanket and pillow for the couch. You need anything for your head? I mean, besides the obvious,” he asked while getting up.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“If you’re good, you could always just go home,” Danny said from the kitchen. 

“I won’t be good enough for that until I’ve had pancakes.”

When Danny returned, he was drying his hands on a dish towel and he leaned against the wall. “Pancakes don’t happen until the morning.”

“Then I’m staying until morning,” he settled comfortably into the sofa again. 

Danny joined him, both men sitting closer than they had before. “I take it Eddie is with Jerry?”

“Yup,” he nodded his head as they watched a compilation program about Super Bowl winners throughout the years. 

Despite the comfortable silence between them, Danny glanced at his partner. “You know I’ve known all day about whatever pact you made with my daughter.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh, sure you don’t. Except I know you both far too well, I know your tells and I know two people conspiring when I see it. She asked you to distract me today.”

“You made her soup, Danny. A lot of soup. She just needed a break that’s all.”

“That soup is a cure-all. It’s gonna get her back on her feet faster than anything else.”

“She’s already back on her feet, Danny. She’s okay, she’s healthy, she’s healing, doc said no lasting effects. It’s time to step back, buddy,” he said, patting Danny’s leg. 

“Maybe you’re right,” Danny sighed. “But it feels good to be taking care of her, you know? Feels good to be needed. She’s growing up, there’s not long until she goes off to college...”

“I get it, man. But you’ve still got a lot of time ahead of you with Charlie. And Grace, she’s always going to be your little girl, and she’s always going to rely on you. That won’t ever change no matter where she goes in the future.”

Danny sighed. “What about you? How are you doing? You barely let that paramedic take a look at you and I swear I’ve spent half the night wondering if something inside you is about to explode from the pressure change or something.”

“If that was going to happen, it would have done so long before now. The only thing left is the headache.”

“That’s the bit that has me worried,” Danny said. “I mean, what if the lack of oxygen has given you brain damage? Further brain damage I mean. ‘Cause of how you act on a normal day so-”

“Very funny,” Steve told him, smiling despite the sarcasm.

“I’m just saying, a headache is a sign. What about anything else like joint pain, or dizziness or anything?”

“Look at me, Danny. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Because it can take 24 hours for the symptoms to all manifest.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I looked it up online while I was making dinner. And there was a mention in there about radiation affecting it and-”

“Okay, that explains it,” Steve interrupted with a bit of a eureka moment. “You’re doing it again. You’re worrying about me more than necessary because of the R word. That’s why you were so hellbent on me being here this evening.”

“It’s all valid concerns!” Danny’s voice rose but aware that Grace was in the next room, he quietened down again, not wanting to alert her to an argument. “You think I’m just going to drop you off at your place and wave and leave you alone for the night? I’m not going to do that, not after you scared me half to death this afternoon being under the water for so long. With me just sitting there, the seconds ticking by and my mind completely blank over what to do if you didn’t come back up because that would mean everyone was dead, including you. I was useless out there to help but I’m not useless here. Right now.”

“You’re never useless anywhere, Danny, come on. You prove that all the time, even when you don’t have to. Like today. And I figure if I’d taken any longer you’d have jumped in after me. No doubt.”

“Listen, just, do me a favor tonight, huh?” Danny asked, propping his head up on the arm leaning on the back of the sofa as he faced Steve. 

“Sure thing.”

“My bed’s pretty big and it’s a lot more comfortable than the couch, and I’ll feel better if you’re right there so I can keep an eye out. Y’know, make sure you don’t have an aneurysm in the night. Stuff like that.”

“You want to sleep together?” Steve asked with his smile somewhere between amusement and teasing but with some nerves of hopefulness in the background that he was hiding.

“I want to sleep in my bed, and you’ll be in there, too. Sleeping. Like we’ve had to do before when one of us has a bad concussion but they didn’t keep us in at the hospital. And by _‘one of us’_ , I really mean you and _‘didn’t keep us in the hospital’_ meaning checked yourself out AMA.”

“If it helps you quit your worrying about me, then I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Wow. Another blank check from McGarrett. Two in one day. You ought to be careful with those.”

Steve laughed at Danny’s words and the teasing in his eyes. Whatever moment of seriousness they’d been in was elevating. As much as Steve loved knowing Danny worried about him, felt comforted by Danny caring so much, he also knew he never wanted Danny to get bogged down by it. Danny had confided in him before about how much he might spiral into worst-case scenarios and it wasn’t healthy and besides, he always liked it better when Danny was smiling and laughing, his eyes crinkling and lighting up the place.

It was a short while later that they decided it was time to get to bed. Danny checked on Grace one last time and made sure the house was locked up while Steve found the drawer in Danny’s room where all of his spare stuff was kept for nights when he slept over, whether because it was easier after a case or if he was looking after the kids. A few years ago, he’d gone from keeping a bag in Danny’s closet to getting an actual drawer. At Steve’s house, Danny had his stuff in the spare room that Junior was currently still occupying, but at Danny’s place, there was no such thing as a spare room so his stuff was right in amongst Danny’s own. 

He was just finishing up in the bathroom when Danny came in and they swapped spaces like they’d practiced it before. When Danny came back into the room, Steve had peeled back the covers and climbed in on the far side of the bed from the door that was closest to the window. A stakeout conversation from many years ago had informed them on which sides of the bed they preferred. Danny liked the right while Steve favored the left. It had led to a long argument about which was better but it also meant that in situations like this, it actually made things easier. 

Danny gave Steve an evaluating look as he turned off the main light in the room and made his way to the bed by the light of the small bedside lamp. “You’re not naked under there, right?”

“I’m wearing pants,” Steve answered, his naked chest visible as he liked to keep the covers low while he slept. 

Danny was in a pair of old cotton shorts and climbed under the covers. He turned the light out to bathe them in darkness and then turned to face Steve as he lay, bringing his half of the covers up tightly around himself, cocooning him in. “Good night,” he mumbled. 

“‘night,” Steve followed suit as he stared at the ceiling. 

After long, quiet moments passed between them, Danny spoke again. “Is it weird?”

“Is what weird?”

“Being in a bed together.”

“I don’t think so,” Steve answered.

“You sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

...

...

“Because this feels different from constantly having to check a concussion. I mean, I’m not entirely sure what I’m checking for this time.”

Steve turned his head to face Danny; gauging him from what facial expressions he could make out in the darkness. “You don’t need to check me for anything. I’m fine.”

“If you’re fine then why agree to be here with me?”

“Because it beats sleeping on the couch.”

...

...

“Maybe just... so long as I can see you’re breathing.”

Steve turned onto his side so that he could face Danny, their positions mirroring each other as they lay. He reached out for Danny’s hand and pulled it into his chest and over his heart to let Danny feel the warmth and the beating from underneath. “The last thing I want is for your blood pressure to skyrocket. Also, you need to get sleep just as much as the rest of us.” Steve kept hold of Danny’s hand with one of his own while the other reached out and cupped his neck. “Do me a favor and switch your brain off for a while. Just lie here with me, breathe in time with the beats, and remember that right now, everything’s okay,” he said, using the same methods he would for an anxiety attack.

Danny’s fingers twitched against Steve’s chest as he shuffled a little bit closer and closed his eyes on a sigh. “I can do that.”

“Good,” Steve replied quietly.

*

Steve woke what could only be an hour or so later. Danny had barely moved in that time and his hand was still scrunched in Steve’s over his heart and the smaller man’s breathing was even. His face seemed peaceful in a way it rarely was or that Steve was so rarely blessed to see. He’d seen the gamut of emotions across Danny’s face and loved to see him animated. Having him still and silent and calm with the worry erased (or, at least, blocked and out of the way) was something elusive enough that Steve felt it needed a David Attenborough voice-over to describe. 

Doing everything he could to memorize his position on the bed so that he could return to it shortly, he sat up and was about to slide out when he couldn’t stop himself from leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to Danny’s forehead and taking an extra second to study him before finally slipping out from under the covers. He’d barely stood straight when Danny cleared his throat. 

“Where’re you goin’?” he mumbled. 

“Just for some water,” Steve stage whispered. “I’ll be right back.”

He returned as quickly as he could, glass full and now on his bedside table. This time as he settled in the bed he was closer to Danny. Or Danny had maybe scooched a little into the warm patch Steve had left behind while he’d been gone. Either way, as he took Danny’s hand again and held it close, there was very little gapping between their bodies and their knees were nudging.

“You know, it makes me feel better when I can see you. Thought that was just a work thing, but it’s better right now, too.”

“Is this your way of asking me to sleep with you more often?” Steve asked, not sure where he wanted this conversation to go.

“That would be ridiculous,” Danny answered. “Different houses.”

Steve wasn’t sure how awake Danny was, or if his answer made a huge amount of sense. “Is your only argument against us sleeping together because we live in different houses??”

“Kids. Dog. Responsibilities...”

“So it’s the logistics, not the actual sleeping together bit.”

“Hmm,” Danny responded. 

Steve didn’t know if he’d just had enough or if he was influenced by the darkness, the tiredness, the fact that he was lying close to Danny and both of them were just in sleep pants, but he leaned in again only this time he kissed Danny’s lips rather than his head. 

Danny may be half asleep but he knew where he was and who he was with and he kissed Steve back, letting out a small hum of contentment while stroking the back of his hand against Steve’s chest. “What was that for?” he asked, licking his lips as they parted just far enough to breathe.

“We’re in the same house - in the same _bed_ \- already so that means there’s no reason not to.”

“I’m not sure that’s right but at the same time, it makes sense,” Danny mumbled.

“Yeah, it does,” Steve agreed then reached over again, his lips connecting with Danny’s and their noses bumping gently as they kissed lazily and let hands explore down over each other's bodies. Danny needed to know Steve was alive and fine and the warmth he felt along with the shifting of muscles and the hitches of Steve’s breath provided all of that for him. It was comforting, and it was hot and it was a turn on. 

As the kisses grew in intensity, they became messier; somehow making them better. As Steve’s hand drew over Danny’s hip and then made its way under Danny’s sleep pants to slide around his hardening cock, it made Danny gasp and Steve pressed his advantage with tongue and teeth against Danny’s lips before trailing down over his jawline. 

“I’ve got lube,” Danny murmured and Steve just hummed positively in response and pushed both of their pants down, kicking them off as best they could under the covers.

Danny had to extricate himself from their tangle enough to turn onto his stomach and then reach for the bedside table. As he opened the drawer, Steve covered him from behind, his warm weight on Danny’s back as he settled himself between Danny’s legs and ran his hand up Danny’s arm so he could pluck the lube from the smaller man’s hand.

Steve dick twitched where it was trapped against Danny’s ass, desperate for what it wanted; to push deep inside the other man, warm and snug. Danny let out a long breath as Steve’s lubed up finger entered him and before long there was a second finger joining it. Steve’s bicep strained where he was holding himself up on one arm and his breath hit the back of Danny’s neck causing small shivers to run down Danny’s back. 

He bit his bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth as he put more lube on his cock and held it steady as he began to push down into Danny’s body. As the head penetrated he let go and his body sank down further into Danny. He repositioned himself to take his weight evenly with an arm on either side of Danny’s shoulders and placed soft kisses at Danny’s neck and upper back, licking at the small patches of salty sweat. He nosed into Danny’s hair as he lay down over him and sought out his ear. 

“Can you still feel my heartbeat?” he asked, his chest pressed against Danny’s back and his cock sitting deep in Danny’s ass. Danny gasped and murmured an ‘uh-huh’ as he shifted slightly underneath the SEAL. “Feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest. This isn’t a dream and your ass feels so good around my cock, so tight and hot and like it wants to pull me in deeper.”

Danny smirked and pushed up against Steve. “Your cock is safe and sound if it’s inside my ass. Just like I know the rest of you is safe and alive when I can see you. And feel you.”

“You’re definitely going to feel me,” Steve growled low as he began moving, hips thrusting in and out as he fucked Danny; slow at first but his dick liked it too much and was greedy for more, wanting faster and deeper and tighter.

Danny was holding onto the mattress with a balled up fist, the other underneath himself trying to jack his own dick but it was trapped. Steve tried to move enough to give him space but Danny refused, telling him to keep fucking him hard, that was what he needed and wanted and he knew Steve could make him come by fucking him. “Yes, yes, yes,” Danny panted as Steve’s dick dragged over his prostate with each thrust and his whole body tensed as his orgasm overtook him, his cum splattering the sheets beneath him as Steve put all his weight behind him and groaned long and low as the pulse of Danny’s orgasm pushed his own to the edge until he was spilling deep inside his partner.

He collapsed onto Danny’s back; the sweat cooling between them, their bodies tacky as they rubbed against each other but Steve didn’t want to move.

Danny snuffled against his pillow that was wet with saliva from where he’d bit into it when coming. “I can still feel you,” he stretched his arms out and made himself comfortable with Steve acting as his blanket. “Your heart’s beating fast. So’s mine.”

“That means we’re all good,” Steve responded, his head lying between Danny’s shoulder blades and he dug one arm between Danny and the mattress to hug around him as he drifted off to sleep.

*

Danny had put an old, soft t-shirt on along with the pants he’d rescued from the crumple at the base of his bed and was already grabbing the ingredients he needed for breakfast. Steve had stolen a clean tee from Danny’s drawer to match his pants and had stayed in the bedroom to clean everything up. 

When he came into the kitchen he hugged around Danny’s waist, swaying them slightly as Danny stirred the mixture. “You’re in my way. Do you want pancakes or to hug me?”

“Just making sure you can still feel me,” Steve smirked as he bit lightly at Danny’s neck and kissed the same spot before loosening his hold and standing to the side where he could lean back against the countertop and watch Danny work. 

“Trust me, I can still feel you just fine, even when you’re not in the room,” he said, keeping his voice low just in case and Steve responded with a smug raise of his eyebrows. 

“Good to know,” he said before dipping a finger into the bowl and popping it into his mouth while Danny frowned and exclaimed an indignant ‘hey’ at him, batting his hand away when he tried again. 

“You’ll get them when they’re cooked and ready,” he warned and shoved the SEAL away. “Go set the table and get out of my hair.”

“Yes, chef,” Steve answered but placed a kiss on Danny’s shoulder before doing so. As he laid out the different syrup choices on the table he turned back to Danny. “Everything still makes sense, right?” he asked. 

Danny was concentrating on how cooked each pancake was but twisted his head to try and see Steve at the same time. “What do you mean?”

“What we discussed last night.”

“I remember a lot about last night but honestly, not so much the talking parts.”

“If there’s nothing stopping us except being in separate houses then if we’re in the same house - yours or mine - then there’s no reason for us not to, y’know, be together.”

“That definitely sounds like middle of the night, whacked out, pseudo-logic to me,” he said and Steve deflated a little, thinking that the normal Danny would kick in and he’d have so many worries and questions that it would set them back, but as he turned to Steve with a plate stacked with pancakes for him, he just smiled. “Guess I can’t fault it, though.”

“You’re serious?”

Danny shrugged and took the seat next to Steve’s, propping his chin on his hand as he considered it all. “It’s a good place to start, allows us to be normal at work but maybe something a little different to explore at home. Now eat. You’re the one who begged for these, don’t let them get cold.”

Steve poured the syrup in a pattern over the top of the stack then cut down with his fork, taking a massive amount in his first bite that barely fit inside his mouth, which made Danny roll his eyes. He waved his fork in the general direction of his plate and waited until most of the food was swallowed before speaking. “These taste even better this morning. I’m going to need more.”

“Fine, but you need to leave some for Grace,” Danny warned. Steve reached over and cupped the back of Danny’s neck, pulling him in for a syrupy kiss before letting him go back to the frying pan. 

Steve had devoured the whole plateful but still had plenty of room to eat another by the time Grace joined them and all three could eat together. Grace had been mostly distracted by her cell phone but she glanced up every now and then and her eyes darted between her father and her Uncle. 

“Something’s weird,” she said. 

“Nothing’s weird,” Danny answered her, which just made her more suspicious. 

“You haven’t said anything about how much I need to keep eating and drinking and resting like you’ve mellowed out overnight or something.”

“I know that you felt smothered by the way I’ve been acting. But you’re old enough and sensible enough to know what you need to get better without me hovering over your shoulder all the time.”

“Okay...” she said with some suspicion. “I don’t think that’s really it but I’m going to take it anyway. Are you going to work again today?”

“Yes, don’t think the boss man can keep signing off on personal days when he knows full well that you’re doing okay now,” Danny said, eyeing Steve to bring him into the conversation. “And we need to follow up on a few things from yesterday. Get another kid sorted out. One who still needs a lot of medical help.”

“I think you and I can convince Nostromo to do the right thing,” Steve nodded as he sipped at a cup of coffee.

“Well, I’m going to shower and get dressed,” Danny said as he stood from the table, but before he left the room he grabbed for the mixing bowl and gave it to Steve who made a high-pitched, appreciative sound as he ran his finger around the inside to gather up the batter to eat raw. “Animal,” Danny shook his head as he walked off. 

Once he was gone, Steve looked over to Grace who was still trying to work the changes out in her head. “So I was thinking maybe we give Danno the night off and I’ll persuade him to get take out tonight. We could get Indian, you like it too, right?”

“Yeah, sounds good. He deserves the chance to chill out and quit worrying,” she answered. “So does that mean you’re spending the night here again?”

“He says he’s letting go of the smothering but you know he still wants to,” Steve excused. “If he needs to enjoy some family time and act like a mother hen for a little longer, then that’s fine.”

“Oh my God, you have no chill, you love it so much,” she laughed as she stood and walked away from the table, leaving Steve alone in the kitchen. 

He looked around at the dirty dishes and the smell of sweetness still in the air as he listened to Danny and Grace in their respective rooms getting ready for the day with soft bumps and thuds and he sighed. “Yeah, I really do.”


End file.
